Vintage Style Special: Top Ten Horror Film Heroines

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Sissy Spacek in Carrie, 1976
Sissy Spacek in Carrie, 1976

As Halloween approaches, we pick our favourite stylish stars of horror film

The Birds. Halloween. The Shining. These cult films would have been nothing without their leading ladies — horror-heroines who slashed, screamed and stared directly in the face of danger, all while sporting a damned good haircut. Each have become fashion icons within their own right, inspiring the catwalks from Marc Jacobs S/S14 gothic pageant and Commes des Garçons A/W14 haute-horror living dolls to Altuzarra’s S/S15 ode to Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s baby. As Halloween approaches, we pick our top ten stylish Horror Film Leads.

Wendy Torrance, The Shining (1980) 
Texan actress Shelley Duvall’s chilling portrayal of Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining made her an unlikely style icon, laden in oatmeal roll-necks, gingham shirts, cord dungarees and array of murderous accessories (baseball bat – check; carving knife – check). It is a look that has since been reflected on the runway, all bar the artillery, in Rodarte checks and APC overalls, inspired by her wide-eyed terror, incredible cheek bones and straggly fringe as she battles Jack Nicholson's descent into madness.

Carrie (1976)
Carrie is horror's ultimate blood-chilling pin-up, with her platform shoes, racy prom dress and unique powers of telekinesis. Played by Sissy Spacek, we watch as she turns prom night into a bloodbath in an all-out revenge massacre, leaving that poignant, haunting image of her bloodsoaked gown, not to mention her unexpected rise-from-the-dead wrist in the final act. The prom scene took three days to film, during which Spacek slept in her stained dress to retain authenticity. This film is a rite of passage for any teenage girl, as are Spacek's bookish school knits and tumbling curls.

The Witches of Eastwick (1987) 
Featuring Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon alongside rogue lothario Jack Nicholson, The Witches of Eastwick is an all-star retro cast, following the revengeful escapades of three dissatisfied suburban women. Doused in sex appeal and hairspray, Cher's perm and criss-cross side split skirt steals the show, alongside a wardrobe of lamé dresses, silky shirts and chandelier earrings.

The Craft (1996)
Another sleepover classic of the 90s, The Craft is the ultimate in gothic sisterhood as we watch Nancy Downs and her grunge coven demonstrate the (supernatural) power of female friendship. The film is enthused with Riot Grrrl teen-angst and an incredible wardrobe: black lipstick, fishtnet gloves, tartan minis, crucifixes, chokers and PVC.

Sarah Shagal, The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
With her va-va voom 60s sex appeal, doll-like innocence and Californian drawl, Sharon Tate plays svelte pin-up Sarah Shagal, who becomes unwittingly entwined in a vampire take-down in the heart of Dracula's hometown Transylvania. Her fire hydrant red curls and hypnotic beauty captivate the audience, most famously in her provocative bubble bath scene. Tate eventually chooses to side with the vamps, biting Roman Polanksi and thus setting the vampires free. Tate later married director and co-star Polanksi, however their life together was cut tragically short when she became the grim victim in a real-life horror film, murdered in 1969 by the Manson family.

Laurie Strode, Halloween (1978)
Jamie Lee Curtis's depiction of bookish Laurie Strode, the unlikely heroine of 1978 slasher horror film Halloween, was her first break into film. Her wardrobe of androgynous shirts, cable knit cardigans, polo necks and penny loafers are in sharp contrast to her gleaming blade and transfixing stare as she fights off psychopathic killer Michael Myers.

Lydia Deetz, Beetlejuice (1988)
Pin-up for teen angst Winona Ryder was a piece of no-brainer casting in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice in 1988. Winona can be largely credited for the spiked gel haircut of the 90s that followed, which she wore with ashen makeup, velvet cloaks and LBDs for her depiction of forlorn misfit teen Lydia Deetz.

Dracula (1992)
Bram Stoker's Dracula is a costume masterpiece, dressed in sumptuous Victorian crinolines, frockcoats and extravagant ruffles. "The costumes are going to be the sets," said Japanese costume designer Eiko Ishioka. A hint of the Geisha girl runs throughout the film, none more so than in Gary Oldman’s colonial blonde wig. He is the one male on our list, wearing a wig constructed from human hair with a pleat running down the back – one of the most memorable hairpieces in cinematic history.

Melanie Daniels, The Birds (1963)
Dressed in a green woollen dress, a mink fur coat and a gold necklace, Tippi Hedren made her acting debut as doomed socialite Melanie Daniels in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963). Hitchcock's story of a seaside town whose population is massacred by an flock of inexplicably aggressive seagulls has repeatedly inspired fashion, most recently Temperley A/W14, which was directly influenced by the film’s classic elegance.

Angelina Jolie in Maleficent (2014)
Although the most contemporary entry on our list, The Maleficent dates back to 1959, when Walt Disney created one of the most terrifying cartoon villains of all time. 55 years on, Angelina Jolie has brought the Mistress of All Evil to life, dressed in sculptural leather, feathers and a crowning headdress made by J Smith Esquire.

Words by Mhairi Graham